Electronic Device System Utilizing a Character Input Method

1. An electronic device, comprising: a touch sensitive device operable to detect one or more touch operations based on one or more keys of a virtual keyboard displayable by a display function of the electronic device; and a processor electronically connected to the touch sensitive device and operable to present character information through the display function, and operable to detect operation of the touch sensitive device according to a character input method, the character input method comprising: displaying the virtual keyboard comprising a plurality of keys and utilizing the virtual keyboard as a base for one or more touch operations detectable by a touch detection function, wherein each key of the plurality of keys is operable as a toggle key, two different keys in the plurality of keys are respectively associated with different sequences of character candidates, and a sequence of character candidates comprises optional characters arranged in a specific arrangement for character input to a text area; detecting if a first operation on a first key of the plurality of keys conforms to a first input pattern or a second input pattern; utilizing a first route of character presentation to traverse a plurality of optional characters associated with the first key to present a first character of the plurality of optional characters associated with the first key through the display function as a currently selected character in response to the first operation conforming to the first input pattern and a first subsequent character of the plurality of optional characters through the display function as the currently selected character in response to a first subsequent operation based on the first key according to the first route upon the condition that the first operation conforms to the first input pattern; and utilizing a second route of character presentation other than the first route to traverse the plurality of optional characters associated with the first key to present a second character of the plurality of the optional characters associated with the first key through the display function as the currently selected character in response to the first operation conforming to the second input pattern and a second subsequent character of the plurality of optional characters associated with the first key through the display function as the currently selected character in response to a second subsequent operation based on the first key according to the second route upon the condition that the first operation conforms to the second input pattern wherein the second character is different from the first character, arrangement of at least two optional characters in the first route is reversed in the second route, and the currently selected character is presented during character presentation associated with the first key and is selected to be input to the text area of the electronic device upon the end of character presentation associated with the first key.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the character input method further comprises: presenting a menu comprising the currently selected character and the plurality of the optional characters associated with the first key through the display function, wherein each of the plurality of the optional characters in the menu is represented by an assistant key other than the first key; and entering a specific character of the plurality of the optional characters in the menu to the text area upon activation of an assistant key representing the specific character.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises a set-top box or a cell phone.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first subsequent operation and the second subsequent operation comprises a touch track detectable by the touch sensitive device for triggering the presenting of one of the first subsequent character and the second subsequent character as the currently selected character, and the touch track comprises an operation based on the first key and comprises a first touch track and a second touch track.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first touch track and the second touch track respectively comprise touch movements in different directions, and the character input method further comprises: maintaining presentation of a menu through the display function to show a visual relationship correlating a direction of sequential selection of at least two characters in the menu in turn as the currently selected character with a direction of at least one of the first touch track and the second touch track.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first touch track and the second touch track respectively comprise clockwise and counterclockwise touch movements based on the first key detectable by the touch sensitive device, the menu comprises a prior character and a post character posterior to the prior character in a second arrangement, and the character input method further comprises: selecting, during presentation of the prior character as the currently selected character, the post character as the currently selected character in substitution for the prior character in response to the first touch track, wherein the selecting of the post character as the currently selected character by the first touch track is performed even if the first touch track detectable by the touch detection function is separated from an area representing the post character in a first graphical user interface component; and selecting, during presentation of the post character as the currently selected character, the prior character as the currently selected character in substitution for the post character in response to the second touch track, wherein the selecting of the prior character as the currently selected character by the second touch track is performed even if the second touch track detectable by the touch detection function is separated from an area representing the prior character in the first graphical user interface component.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the menu comprises at least one candidate of auto-completed words derived from at least one character associated with the first key.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first subsequent operation comprises a first subsequent press based on the first key or a first touch track based on the first key detectable by the touch sensitive device, and the second subsequent operation comprises a second subsequent press based on the first key or a second touch track based on the first key detectable by the touch sensitive device.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first input pattern represents a default input scheme of short press on the first key operable to select one optional character associated with the first key as the currently selected character according to the first route of character presentation, a duration of the short press is less than a predetermined time interval, the second input pattern represents an alternative input scheme of long press on the first key operable to select one optional character associated with the first key as the currently selected character according to the second route of character presentation, and a duration of the long press is greater than the predetermined time interval.

10. An electronic device, comprising: a touch sensitive device operable to detect one or more touch operations based on one or more keys of a virtual keyboard displayable by a display function of the electronic device; and a processor electronically connected to the touch sensitive device and operable to present character information through the display function, and operable to detect operation of the touch sensitive device according to a character input method, the character input method comprising: displaying the virtual keyboard comprising a plurality of keys and utilizing the virtual keyboard as a base for one or more touch operations detectable by a touch detection function, wherein each key of the plurality of keys is operable as a toggle key, two different keys in the plurality of keys are respectively associated with different sequences of character candidates, and a sequence of character candidates comprises optional characters arranged in a specific arrangement for character input to a text area; presenting a first character of a plurality of optional characters in a first sequence of character candidates associated with the first key as a currently selected character through the display function in response to a first operation of the first key conforming to a first input pattern; determining if a second operation based on the first key during the presentation of the first character conforms to a second input pattern; presenting an optional character associated with the first key previous to the first character as the currently selected character through the display function with respect to a preset order of character presentation of the first sequence if the second operation conforms to the second input pattern; and presenting another optional character associated with the first key next to the first character through the display function as the currently selected character with respect to the preset order of character presentation of the first sequence if the second operation does not conform to the second input pattern; wherein the first sequence comprises three or more optional characters associated with first key, the first operation comprises an operation initiating presentation of optional characters associated with the first key or an operation received by the input device during character presentation associated with the first key, the preset order of character presentation represents a predetermined arrangement of the plurality of optional characters associated with the first key, and the currently selected character is selected to be input to the text area upon completion of character presentation associated with the first key.

11. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first input pattern is different from the second input pattern, and the processor determines if the second operation conforms to the second input pattern based on a duration of the second operation.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the electronic device comprises a set-top box or a cell phone.

13. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the touch sensitive device comprises a touch screen on which the first key is displayed as a virtual key.

14. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the second operation comprises a touch track detectable by the touch sensitive device, and the character input method further comprises: presenting an optional character associated with the first key next to the first character with respect to the preset order of character presentation if the second operation does not conform to the second input pattern but does conform to a third input pattern of the first key; wherein the second operation when conforming to the second input pattern or the third input pattern respectively comprises a touch track detectable by the touch sensitive device moving in a first direction or in a second direction; and wherein the selecting of the currently selected character by the touch track is performed even if the touch track detectable by the touch sensitive device is separated from an area on a menu representing the currently selected character.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the character input method further comprises: presenting a menu comprising the currently selected character and the plurality of the optional characters associated with the first key through the display function; and maintaining presentation of at least two characters in the menu in turn as the currently selected character to show a visual relationship correlating a direction of progressive selection of the at least two characters as the currently selected character on the menu with a direction of a touch track comprised in the second operation detectable by the touch sensitive device.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the second operation when conforming to the second input pattern comprises a first touch track on the touch sensitive device in a clockwise or counterclockwise touch movement, and the second operation when conforming to a third input pattern comprises a second touch track on the touch sensitive device in a clockwise or counterclockwise touch movement contrary to the first touch track, the menu comprises a prior character and a post character associated with the first key according to the preset order of character presentation, and the character input method further comprises: selecting, during presentation of the prior character as the currently selected character, the post character as the currently selected character in substitution for the prior character in response to the first touch track, wherein the selecting of the post character as the currently selected character by the first touch track is performed even if the first touch track detectable by the touch detection function is separated from an area representing the post character in a first graphical user interface component; and selecting, during presentation of the post character as the currently selected character, the prior character as the currently selected character in substitution for the post character in response to the second touch track, wherein the selecting of the prior character as the currently selected character by the second touch track is performed even if the second touch track detectable by the touch detection function is separated from an area representing the prior character in the first graphical user interface component.

17. The electronic device as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the first operation conforming to the first input pattern comprises a short press on the first key, a duration of the short press is less than a predetermined time interval, the first operation conforming to the second input pattern comprises a long press on the first key, a duration of the long press is greater than the predetermined time interval, and the first touch track and the second touch track based on the first key do not conflict with the first operation on the first key such that release of the first key is not necessarily required between the first operation and the first touch track or between the first operation and the second touch track.

18. The electronic device as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the menu comprises at least one candidate of auto-completed words derived from at least one character associated with the first key.

19. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the second operation comprises a subsequent press on the first key or a first touch track based on the first key detectable by the touch sensitive device.

20. A character input method executable by an electronic device connectable to a display and capable of detecting touch operations, comprising: displaying a virtual keyboard comprising a plurality of keys through a display function; utilizing the virtual keyboard as a base for one or more touch operations detectable by a touch detection function, wherein each key of the plurality of keys is operable as a toggle key, two different keys in the plurality of keys are respectively associated with different sequences of character candidates, a sequence of character candidates comprises optional characters arranged in a specific arrangement for character input to a text area, and the plurality of keys comprise a first key; detecting if a first operation on the first key of the plurality of keys conforms to a first input pattern or a second input pattern; utilizing a first route of character presentation to traverse a plurality of optional characters associated with the first key to present a first character of the plurality of optional characters associated with the first key through the display function as a currently selected character in response to the first operation conforming to the first input pattern and to present a first subsequent character of the plurality of optional characters through the display function as the currently selected character in response to a first subsequent operation based on the first key according to the first route upon the condition that the first operation conforms to the first input pattern; and utilizing a second route of character presentation other than the first route to traverse the plurality of optional characters associated with the first key to present a second character of the plurality of the optional characters associated with the first key through the display function as the currently selected character in response to the first operation conforming to the second input pattern and to present a second subsequent character of the plurality of optional characters associated with the first key through the display function as the currently selected character in response to a second subsequent operation based on the first key according to the second route upon the condition that the first operation conforms to the second input pattern wherein the second character is different from the first character, arrangement of at least two optional characters in the first route is reversed in the second route, and the currently selected character is presented during character presentation associated with the first key and is selected to be input to the text area of the electronic device upon the end of character presentation associated with the first key.

21. A character input method executable by an electronic device connectable to a display and capable of detecting touch operations, comprising: displaying a virtual keyboard comprising a plurality of keys through a display function; utilizing the virtual keyboard as a base for one or more touch operations detectable by a touch detection function, wherein each key of the plurality of keys is operable as a toggle key, two different keys in the plurality of keys are respectively associated with different sequences of character candidates, a sequence of character candidates comprises optional characters arranged in a specific arrangement for character input to a text area, and the plurality of keys comprise a first key; presenting a first character of a plurality of optional characters in a first sequence of character candidates associated with the first key as a currently selected character through the display function in response to a first operation of the first key conforming to a first input pattern; determining if a second operation based on the first key during the presentation of the first character conforms to a second input pattern; presenting an optional character associated with the first key previous to the first character as the currently selected character through the display function with respect to a preset order of character presentation of the first sequence if the second operation conforms to the second input pattern; and presenting another optional character associated with the first key next to the first character through the display function as the currently selected character with respect to the preset order of character presentation of the first sequence if the second operation does not conform to the second input pattern; wherein the first sequence comprises three or more optional characters associated with the first key, the first operation comprises an operation initiating presentation of optional characters associated with the first key or an operation received by the input device during character presentation associated with the first key, the preset order of character presentation represents a predetermined arrangement of the plurality of optional characters associated with the first key, and the currently selected character is selected to be input to the text area upon completion of character presentation associated with the first key.

22. A character input method executable by an electronic device connectable to a display and capable of detecting touch operations, comprising: displaying a virtual keyboard comprising a plurality of keys through a display function; utilizing a touch detection function to detect one or more touch operations based on the virtual keyboard, wherein each key of the plurality of keys is operable as a toggle key, two different keys in the plurality of keys are respectively associated with different groups of character candidates, a group of character candidates comprises optional characters arranged in a specific arrangement for character input to a text area, and the plurality of keys comprise a first key; displaying optional characters belonging to a default character set of character candidates associated with the first key; displaying a gesture operable graphical user interface with an appearance suggesting that the gesture operable graphical user interface receive a touch movement between a plurality of operational positions on the gesture operable graphical user interface, wherein at least some of the displayed optional characters associated with the first key are positioned to surround a center of a virtual region in which the displayed optional characters associated with the first key are positioned, and each of the operational positions on the gesture operable graphical user interface is associated with one of the displayed optional characters associated with the first key; providing a domain operable to detect a first operation associated with the first key; determining whether the first operation associated with the first key conforms to a first input pattern or a second input pattern; presenting a first character in the default character set as a currently selected character for character input to the text area in response to the first operation associated with the first key conforming to the first input pattern; allowing presentation of an alternative character in the default character set as the currently selected character in substitution for the first character during character presentation associated with the first key in response to the first operation associated with the first key conforming to the second input pattern; displaying a focus operable to indicate the currently selected character among the default character set; allowing movement of the focus among the default character set from a prior character to a post character in the default character set in response to a first touch movement track associated with the first key detectable by the touch detection function in the domain, wherein a direction of the movement of the focus is correlated with a direction of the first touch movement track; allowing movement of the focus even if the movement of the focus substantially comprises a radial move with respect to the center of the virtual region; allowing movement of the focus even if the movement of the focus substantially comprises a circular move with respect to the center of the virtual region; and inputting the currently selected character to the text area upon the end of character presentation associated with the first key.

23. The character input method as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the first input pattern represents a touch operation of a press on the touch sensitive device, and the second input pattern represents a touch operation of a gesture moving along the touch sensitive device.

24. The character input method as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the direction of the movement of the focus is correlated with the direction of the first touch movement track even if a position representing the focus is separated from the first touch movement track.

25. The character input method as claimed in claim 22 , further comprising: determining an auto-completed word based on the character candidates associated with the first key in response to the first operation based on the first key; and displaying a gesture operable option of the auto-completed word accompanying the displayed optional characters.

26. An electronic device, comprising: a touch sensitive device operable to detect one or more touch operations based on one or more keys of a virtual keyboard displayable by a display function of the electronic device; and a processor electronically connected to the touch sensitive device and operable to present character information through the display function, and operable to detect operation of the touch sensitive device according to a character input method, the character input method comprising: displaying the virtual keyboard comprising a plurality of keys; utilizing the virtual keyboard as a base for one or more touch operations detectable by a touch detection function, wherein each key of the plurality of keys is operable as a toggle key, two different keys in the plurality of keys are respectively associated with different sequences of character candidates, and a sequence of character candidates comprises optional characters arranged in a specific arrangement for character input to a text area; displaying optional characters belonging to a default character set of character candidates associated with the first key; displaying a gesture operable graphical user interface with an appearance suggesting that the gesture operable graphical user interface receive a touch movement between a plurality of operational positions on the gesture operable graphical user interface, wherein at least some of the displayed optional characters associated with the first key are positioned to surround a center of a virtual region in which the displayed optional characters associated with the first key are positioned, and each of the operational positions on the gesture operable graphical user interface is associated with one of the displayed optional characters associated with the first key; providing a domain operable to detect a first operation associated with the first key; determining whether the first operation associated with the first key conforms to a first input pattern or a second input pattern; presenting a first character in the default character set as a currently selected character for character input to the text area in response to the first operation associated with the first key conforming to the first input pattern; allowing presentation of an alternative character in the default character set as the currently selected character in substitution for the first character during character presentation associated with the first key in response to the first operation associated with the first key conforming to the second input pattern; displaying a focus operable to indicate the currently selected character among the default character set; allowing movement of the focus among the default character set from a prior character to a post character in the default character set in response to a first touch movement track associated with the first key detectable by the touch detection function in the domain, wherein a direction of the movement of the focus is correlated with a direction of the first touch movement track; allowing movement of the focus even if the movement of the focus substantially comprises a radial move with respect to the center of the virtual region; allowing movement of the focus even if the movement of the focus substantially comprises a circular move with respect to the center of the virtual region; and inputting the currently selected character to the text area upon the end of character presentation associated with the first key.